I recently faced a strange issue with my well pump. In the middle of the night, I woke up to feed my newborn and discovered that we had no water. My husband checked the well, and it appeared to have power. A couple of hours later, the water flow returned. However, when he went to investigate later that day, he found that the well pump was still running despite us not using any water for at least 30-60 minutes. The pressure gauge shot up to 75 psi, which seems too high since I believe it should be around 40-60 psi. We turned off the power to the well and ran the faucets to lower the pressure. Initially, it stayed at 75 psi for a moment, then suddenly dropped to 50 psi. The well tank and pressure gauge were replaced about 1-1.5 years ago, but I'm unsure of the pump's age, as our house was built in 1981. I'm looking for insights from anyone knowledgeable about well systems. Is my issue likely with the pressure gauge, the pump, or something else?
3 Answers
It sounds like the pressure switch could be the culprit here. It's an inexpensive fix—like $30—and usually just takes about 15 minutes to replace. Just remember to use some Teflon tape on the threads when you reattach it!
I had a major issue once with a rust clog in the pipe leading to my pressure switch, which delayed its response. The fix was just swapping out that section of pipe. Something like that might be causing your irregular pressure readings too.
It seems like your pressure shutoff switch might be acting up, especially since your tank is fairly new. If you have an above-ground pump with a relay shutoff, it’s usually a simple fix! Just be cautious about letting the pump run continuously; I've had one burn out from that!
Totally agree! Replacing the pressure switch should be your first step. If the pressure keeps spiking, it’s likely not functioning properly. You can do it yourself, or you might call a well service if you're unsure.